Life on the Border with Gaza

July 10, 2009

The Ayalon South, to Rt. 20, to Rt. 4 and we were on our way to Kfar Maimon, the moshav where Gaby and Silvie Weil live. Gaby is a nephew of Simone Lipman. Ashdod, Ashqelon, and Sderot were on the route, so we stopped at each. I was drawn to these sites, not only because they would expand our exposure to Israel, but also out of a sense of solidarity with these towns that have been the victims of rocket attacks from Gaza. Sderot, in particular, located about 2 kilometers from the Gaza Strip, was the target of thousands of fortunately inept, but terrifying rockets in recent years, following the withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip in September of 2005. Sderot and the south were especially hard hit during the Gaza operation at the beginning of the year. What is striking about these communities that border on the Negev is their flora. The seaside towns of Ashdod and Ashqelon, both seemingly in the midst of urban sprawl, with buildings going up in many places, have gardens, groves, and green spaces as well. What struck me about Sderot, a few kilometers from the coast, reflects my own ignorance of the geography and terrain. For some reason, I expected a dry, barren, poorly developed natural and human-built environment, for this town that has been so much in the news. To my surprise, Sderot is a town of modern apartments, well-paved streets, an industrial zone, and parks and greenways. The main difference between Sderot and so many other small villages further north is the explicit and prominent attention to shelter from rocket attacks. Shelters, sometimes nothing more than large, concrete structures that look like sections of massive sewer lines waiting to be installed or modular rooms, waiting to be stacked into a larger structure, are especially noticeable in open spaces like parks. Many of these structures have been colorfully painted to diminish, to the extent possible, the somber and terrifying message associated with their presence. Schools and other gathering places are being enclosed in concrete structures for protection as well. Think of something like the main walkway under the stands of Kenan Stadium and then imagine that type of structure built over a school. What a waste of human and economic resources, unfortunately necessary to protect the lives of residents of Sderot.